Wallis & Wallis auction

[Waterloo1815]

I've absolutely no idea if any of these are genuine or not, but I was waiting for a flintlock firearm later in the auction and took a note of these as I thought they might be of interest to the forum.
Lot 209, LRDG, sold for £300
Lot 210, Popski, sold for £50
Lot 211, SDF, sold for £380
Lot 212, SAS, sold for £30
Lot 213, SBS, sold for £200

[manchesters]

I watched it too, and the only one thats genuine to me is the SDF badge which was very nice.

I am no expert in SF stuff but judging by the prices achieved at an auction from a very well known militaria auction house with several dealers actually in the room as well as being on the internet, I have got to conclude that none of the SF stuff is genuine.

regards

[Waterloo1815]

Simon, yes, I came pretty much to the same conclusion just on the prices realised. Obviously those bidding know what they are getting (hopefully!).

[redman]

I assume the auctioneer knew exactly what they had!!!!!!!!

[Hoot]

Originally Posted by Waterloo1815

Simon, yes, I came pretty much to the same conclusion just on the prices realised. Obviously those bidding know what they are getting (hopefully!).

I'm sure they know what they are getting and I'm also sure they will be moving them on at much higher prices and as the genuine article. There's no shortage of mugs out there.

[arnhem2280]

Strangely no one made any comment on these pieces before the auction which is quite unusual. Normally at least one collector/dealer in SF badges comes along with words of warning to potential buyers, and gives the auction house a hard time for selling fakes at the same time. This time no comments at all. Maybe these were the real deal and someone did well from them and they will be appearing on a dealers list very soon.

Cheers

Arnhem

[Waterloo1815]

I think there is a slight problem with W&W that I suffered from myself many, many years ago. Before I got into collecting badges I had, like a lot of the post war generation, amassed militaria given to me by relatives and friends fathers, all of whom served during WW2 and brought back souvenirs. I off-loaded some of this in the 1980's as my then girlfriend didn't like all the SS items I'd been given; but when I took them to W&W for valuation they stated they were copies! Even long established militaria auction houses don't know what they are looking at sometimes. Funnily enough I was in W&W a couple of years ago to pick-up an item I had bid on, and while waiting for it to be delivered from their storeroom I watched the 'experts' there trying to value items for their next sale. I won't go into detail, suffice to say that any of us with access to the internet and a couple of reference books could do their job.

[leigh kitchen]

For many years I've had a Prussian Garde Jaeger officer's shako plate simmering away largely forgotten on the back burner of my wants list.

One was listed by Wallis and Wallis years ago, with a view to bidding I phoned to check re. it's originality.

Roy Butler was on holiday, the chap who dealt with me was, I think, a warehouse assistant, he was helpful, he expressed the um-ah-maybe-I dunno opinion that it looked like it could be a fake.

I didn't bid, no criticism of the bloke who tried to help me but occasionally I wonder if I missed a good 'un.

[arrestingu]

...personally the Sudan DF and Popski badges look like they stood a chance at being correct,though the photos are out of focus when blown up so hard to be 100% .
The LRDG,SAS cloth and SBS to my eye look wrong. The quality is poor.
Regards steve

[Waterloo1815]

Yes, that is another problem with W&W, their photo's are very often very poor quality, and in a lot of cases they don't even show a photo of the item in the auction!!!!
To be fair, I have bought some nice stuff through them, but only after going to Lewes to look at the item closely myself.

[marinus]

Good evening gents,

I also followed the auction and was surprised by the hammer price for the nice AAC badge in Lot 207.
What do you think of £600 (ex fee) for a 1942 hallmarked AAC badge?

Marinus

AAC-GAUNT-HM1942.jpg

[Jack8]

Originally Posted by marinus

Good evening gents,

I also followed the auction and was surprised by the hammer price for the nice AAC badge in Lot 207.
What do you think of £600 (ex fee) for a 1942 hallmarked AAC badge?

Marinus

Attachment 258073

That seems a lot for a hammer price on one of these, catching up with the Parachute Regiment officers HM silver badge.

Jack.

[Luke H]

Personally I think W&W’s pictures are excellent.

The LRDG looked very rough on the rim’s inner edge and the voiding between and around the legs looked poor. I suspect it is a casting from another badge.

The PPA has all the features attributed to original badges.

Afraid I don’t know anything about the SDF so can’t comment, but it looks nicely detailed from the front.

The SAS cloth and BM badges. Pass on the cloth but it reminds me of ones I’ve seen on Sargent Militaria. Unless a BM badge had absolutely cast iron provenance for me they’re all £3-5 eBay bracket. Personally I don’t buy the large font Gaunt mark and Coronation story.

The SBS is very different to the one sold by Bosley’s and the other discussed here accompanied by a Commando S.B.S. cloth title early last year.

From the prices realised it appears there was little confidence amongst bidders in any of the British SF badges discussed.